Malcolm's mother said those words to him when he was little and he's never really let go of that notion. Ever. He's developed a rather paranoid outlook on like and is the type that's always using a mirror to look around corners, never really trusts people until they've proven that they're human they're not going to hurt him, and just, in general, thinks that everything that we know are told is a lie.

Everything is a conspiracy to Malcolm, that's the first thing that any person needs to know when trying to deal with this young man. The government is out to destroy the human race and is working with the aliens to harvest people that have developed interesting enough powers--because of a previous experiment that people have been calling 'the mutant phenomenon--and they're using the MRD as a front for the aliens to continue their work. That's what Malcolm sees when he looks at everything going on, amongst other things. If someone tries to make him think otherwise that means they must be working for the enemy and he'll run as fast as he can away from them. (Conflict? Hah no. Malcolm isn't a fighter but he's a runner!) His strong beliefs in all these conspiracies and paranormal activity have led to a very anti-government outlook in Malcolm's life and he's not afraid to say it either.

Because of his paranoia Malcolm is very skittish, having enough nervous ticks to supply an entire school. If he finds himself in a situation that is uncomfortable or what he dubs dangerous, he tends to get a bit of a twitch, the young man constantly wringing his hands as he starts to stutter his words. He'll stumble over what he's trying to say, even saying things the completely wrong way if he's nervous enough, until he eventually just flees to have a mini panic attack somewhere safe. (In school it was the bathroom.) This paranoid nature has made it hard for him to really gain any solid friends throughout his life so far but he doesn't mind so much. After all, you never know who might be an alien so the less connections you have the better right?

When someone does break through and coax a level of trust out of Malcolm, they'll find a young man who's very sweet and thoughtful. He cares a lot more than one would think given the automatic distrust he has for other people and will work hard for the people he does trust if they ask something of him. His wild outlook on the world hasn't completely swallowed up the fact that he's still very young and there's still quite a bit that he doesn't understand. (He's a geek after all; he focuses on certain things and the rest..well the rest just doesn't matter..until it does and then he's a bumbling mess.) Malcolm likes to see others happy and safe and is even known to crack a smile now and then when he finally gets control of himself and loses the nervousness.

Anger is something that Malcolm's never quite grasped the concept of. He's gotten upset with people, sure, but true anger is something that just never seems to happen with the young man. He can't bring himself to get mad at others because he knows that the aliens have been doing horrible things to most of them and, if anything, he just feels sorry for them and wishes he could help. The closest he gets to anger is when someone tries to tell him that everything he believes is a bunch of bullshit and even then, his version of getting angry involves clenched fists, stomping his foot, and marching off in a huff. (Oh so threatening right?)

With paranoia comes fears and Malcolm has quite a few of them. He's never been a fighter, which makes it that much harder to control his fears, and in the midst of a fight he's known to curl up in a corner or underneath something, cover his head, and just wait it out. While he has a cause that he's fighting for, it's more on the protest level of fighting than anything else, Malcolm terrified of running into the MRD or people supporting the alien cause because, if he does get caught, he knows he won't be able to get away and then what hope will humanity have left?

Malcolm's main goal in life is to bring to light the threat that's out there, wanting to bring peace back to everyone so they can just live their lives again. It's hard for him though since he has a serious lack of support in his quest, especially after being separated from his mother, but he's doing the best that he can.

.history:
Born to David and Caroline Reilly after the pair were married after both having failed marriages prior, Malcolm was born into a life of aliens and ghosts. His father was a world renown 'ghost hunter' and his mother was a alien conspiracy theorist, giving the young man the--er--best of both worlds?

From a young age his parents told him stories about their different experiences and the things that were out there, preparing Malcolm for the life he was growing up in. It was all pretty terrifying for a young child but he soaked it all up and believed it all because his parents were telling him and his parents couldn't be wrong about that sort of thing.

When Malcolm was five his father was killed while on a trip to a haunted castle in Ireland, leaving the young boy and his mother alone--which is probably where the issues started. Caroline devoted herself from that point on to her alien theorist life and dragged Malcolm right along with her, the mother-son team working together to try and uncover government secrets about Roswell and all the other alien-related incidents going on.

This sort of interesting life made Malcolm the subject of many bullies in school but he took it all in stride, never having doubts in what his mother was teaching him. He continued to tell his class during show and tell or report readings about the aliens and how they were going to take over the Earth because the government wasn't doing anything about them, leaving him a laughing stock most of the time but, hey, at least he was getting the word out there.

It was during his eighth grade year that his prophecies seemed to come true, the 'mutant phenomenon' gripping the nation and sending Malcolm and his mother in super conspiracy mode. Clearly it was the work of the aliens and the government was letting it happen which meant the government was evil too! Just like they'd always thought! His mother was quick to pull her son out of school, refusing to let either of them get any state regulated vaccines and going into seclusion in their home-turned-bunker after relocating to Columbus. The pair monitored news broadcast, radio shows, magazines, newspapers--anything that would give them information to build their case against the government and really it wasn't hard considering everything that started happening.

It wasn't until things started to get really bad that the pair faced trouble, Caroline's vocal protests outside several government buildings with supporters--more crazies really--put her in the spotlight and she was arrested not long before Ohio seemed to go to hell. Malcolm, out of fear, packed his backpack and fled before the cops could take him into protective custody and by a stroke of sheer luck the young man has managed to avoid getting himself killed in he warzone that is Ohio.

Which, he'd be more happy about if he knew how the hell to get out of the state and how to find his mom.

.rp sample:
"Alien!"

"Kid what--"

"G-Get away from me a-alien scum!" Malcolm yelled weakly, holding a shovel as threateningly as he could, backing away from the police officer that had caught the boy trying to sneak out of a gas station with some food. It had been a momentary slip in his good sneaking abilities, something Malcolm was cursing himself for, and he gripped the shovel's handle tighter as he tried not to let the police officer see just how scared he was. (As if the shaking was obvious enough.) "I-I know how to use this!"

"There's no reason for threats, son. Where are your parents? Are you lost?" the officer asked, holding his hands up as he took a step closer. "If you come with me I can--"

"Y-You can w-what? Experiment on me? I-I think not!" the young man yelped, looking this way and that then back to the cop, trying to find an escape route that he could use--There! Spotting his opening, Malcolm swallowed the lump in his throat and threw the shovel at the officer before breaking into a run, bolting away from the man and into the road, right into the path of a car.

Oh god please work.

The car swerved and, as he hoped, slammed into a telephone pole. The driver seemed alright, which was good but there was no time to think about that. Malcolm bolted, leaving the cop to deal with the injured individual as he just ran as fast as he could. He had to get somewhere safe. Had to get somewhere that they couldn't find him.